1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to the field of flower displays. More particularly, it pertains to the field of potted flower arrangements and to an improved method of making a live flower arrangement with internal watering using less labor and less time than is required in the prior art practice.
2. Description of the Prior Art
When daisies pied and violets blue PA1 And cuckoo-buds of yellow hue
And lady-smocks all silver-white PA2 Do paint the meadows with delight
Shakespeare: Love's Labour's Lost, Vii
This 1594 passage, by one of the world's greatest playwrights, mirrors the message of flowers to all the world. Flowers and their arrangements are a delight for persons of all ages and bring happiness to all who receive them and can view their beauty. Florists have flourished for centuries, selling flowers and flower arrangements to customers, as gifts to cover a variety of occasions, to express their love, joy, sorrow and comfort.
In the field of flower arrangements, i.e., flowers arranged in a fanciful pattern in a receptacle, there are presently two general types: fresh flowers and silk or synthetic flowers. Silk flower arrangements are usually mounted in a plug of foam located inside the receptacle. These flowers require no particular servicing, other than the occasional dusting.
However, with respect to fresh flowers, far more effort is required in arranging them and later servicing them. It is to this part of the flower industry that this invention is directed.
Arranged fresh flowers require two things: a mounting medium and water. If the mounting medium is removed, the flowers fall out of arrangement and the fancifulness of the arrangement is spoiled. If water is not provided, at the time the arrangement is made and thereafter, the flowers will wilt and lose their luster and beauty so that they no longer convey the good tidings and/or care that is commensurate with the arrangement.
Presently, in potted fresh flower arrangements, the current practice is to provide a block of reticulated plastic formaldehyde foam that is cut into plugs, saturated with water, and then placed in an open-top receptacle. The wet foam can either be anchored in the receptacle with a weight, such as a small amount of lead, or it can be glued or otherwise adhered to the inside surface of the receptacle. However, because it is saturated with water at this point in time, anchoring it can be a problem.
The step of soaking the plug in water usually takes two or more hours, depending upon the size and shape of the plug, and requires a large container in which to place the many pieces of the foam and cover them with water. The cutting of water-saturated foam is messy and often creates a dirty and possibly hazardous work place, especially if an electric saw or knife is used to cut the foam. In addition, because the inside of many receptacles are not square, there is the matter of cutting the plug to fit. This results in much waste of foam and water. In today's practices of a clean working environment, such a mess may run afoul of anti-pollution laws and the like.
The foam of choice in present practice is a plastic formaldehyde foam sold under the trademark "OASIS.RTM.". It is a semi-rigid foam, meaning that it forms a rather stiff foam that holds the stems of the flowers in place after the arrangement is made. Often, a narrow-diameter stick is inserted down into the foam plug from the top to locate holes in which the stems of fresh flowers may later be inserted.
Accordingly, under current practice, a large block of reticulated, semi-rigid polyurethane foam is cut into plugs, placed in a large container and covered with water for two to four hours in order to allow the water to permeate the interconnected cells and saturate the foam. Then, small water-saturated plugs are inserted into the receptacle through its open top. Holes are then formed in the foam with a narrow diameter plunger and the stems of fresh flowers are inserted therein to make the arrangement.
Because the foam is totally saturated, there is always the possibility that some water will spill out of the open top of the receptacle and mess the wrapping paper. Such water saturation is not needed throughout the entire plug of foam. Only the bottom of the foam plug in the receptacle needs to hold water as the flower stem is cut on the bottom and draws water up into the flower from the bottom. The time and mess created in cutting the foam into plugs, soaking the plugs in water and then fitting the plugs into the receptacles constitutes a waste of water, time and foam that drives up the cost of making a fresh flower arrangement in a receptacle.